


I'm Sorry, I Don't Understand You

by bored_chic1002



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-12 02:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2092278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bored_chic1002/pseuds/bored_chic1002
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know the story of how Lord Voldemort was defeated by Harry Potter when he was just a baby, and how he grew up with no living relatives other than the Dursleys. But what if the story had turned out differently? </p><p>What if did have other living family? How would things change if the Boy Who Lived had a twin sister? </p><p>Okay, just so everyone knows, the main character is deaf. There will be a lot of signing in here, and when they're using sign language, the words will be in italics and bold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Platform 9 3/4

I looked at myself in the mirror. Flaming red hair, bright green eyes, a smattering of freckles across my nose and cheeks and a long, jagged scar circling the right side of my neck.

I was wearing a pair of jeans that were much too long for me, as I was short for my age, and Aunt Petunia refused to hem them once she'd gotten them from a neighbor as hand-me-downs. I was wearing a plain white t-shirt along with it, and tennis shoes that were too small and pinching my toes uncomfortably.

 _Am I really a witch?_ I thought to myself for about the thousandth time. _Because I sure don't look like one...or feel like one for that matter._

I shook my head and washed my hands in the sink. I needed to hurry up, Hagrid had said something about catching another train.

As I was drying my hands, I was shoved roughly out of the way by some lady in 8-inch high heels and a slutty grey business suit. She was blabbering on and on, but I couldn't hear her, so I just stood there, crossing my arms over my chest.

I suppose she had been asking me to move out of the way of the sink and then gotten tired of waiting.

The lady finally turned to look at me. "Are you even listening to me?" I saw her say, standing with her hands on her hips, her face twisted in an ugly glare.

I shook my head, smiling slightly. "No, I'm not listening. You know why? 'Cause I'm as deaf as a post!" I brushed past her and left the bathroom before I could see her say anything else.

I was used to people completely disregarding the fact that a child might possibly have more problems than they do, but it still stung me every time someone acted like that before I even did anything to them.

I made my way through the crowded King's Cross Station to where Hagrid, Harry and I had had lunch. As I reached the table, Hagrid was standing up.

He was _very_ tall, that's about all I knew about him, really. Oh, and that he had told Harry and I that we were both "magical folk".

_In front of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to boot! You should have seen the looks on their faces!_

"It's all on yer tickets, all you have to do is look." I saw him say. I turned to Harry and looked at the tickets he was holding. They were small golden sheets of paper that said platform 9 3/4.

 ** _What does that mean?_** I signed to Harry.

 ** _I don't know_**. He signs back. Then he turned to where Hagrid had been standing, his lips moving in a question.

But I looked up and we both saw that Hagrid was already gone, disappearing without a trace.

_I have to learn how to do that!_

Harry turned back to me, shrugged, and waved for me to come on, to follow him.

We steered our carts and headed through the station. Harry stuck right by my side the whole time, tapping my arm when I had to move out of the way of something or someone I couldn't hear.

"There's platform 9," I said, pointing. "And platform 10."

I saw Harry sigh in frustration, looking like he was very confused and not knowing what to do.

Suddenly, he turned around like he'd heard something important. I followed his gaze and saw that he was watching a family of six redheads as they passed us.

I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. **_What is it?_**   I signed.

 ** _They know how to get on the train!_** He signed urgently, his green eyes looking bright with excitement.

Harry waved to me and we pushed our carts after the family hurriedly.

When we reached them, I saw that now there were only three redheads left. Harry started talking to the one who looked like the mother, although she was barely taller than the two remaining children.

She smiled at me kindly and I waved back.

"Hi." I said, seeing that the two other redheads were a boy who was about Harry's and mine age, and a girl who was a little younger.

The lady pointed to the wall between the stations, talking to Harry encouragingly.

Harry signed to me that we had to run straight at the wall to get into the real station.

 ** _What, are you crazy?_** I signed back as the woman and her two remaining children stared at me in shock.

 ** _Trust me,_** Harry signed back, his face pleading with me. **_Please._**

_Okay, on the up side I'll make it to Platform 9 3/4 in some magical way, or on the down side I'll just run straight into the wall with a pure white kitten in a carrier case. That's cool, I guess._

After a minute, I nodded. **_Okay_**. I signed, shrugging.

Let's do this.

Without giving myself a second to back out of it, I grabbed my cart and ran straight for the wall, trying not to wince.

Instead of crashing, I came out on the other side in a station that looked exactly like the other one, but only had one train and people were...different over here.

I turned around in time to see Harry run through and laughed at the look of surprise on his face. He looked shocked to see that he was still alive.

Harry smiled when he saw me laughing. He's told me before that my laugh is really pleasant to hear.

 ** _Can you believe this?_** Harry signed as the other redheads burst through the wall behind us.

I shook my head in disbelief as we pushed our way through the crowd.

After much pushing, shoving, and excusing, we came to a compartment towards the middle of the train that was still empty. Harry and I stopped there and I was about to pick up my trunk when I was rammed into from behind. I fell and felt something heavy fall on top of me.

 _OW_.

I looked up and saw that another one of the redheads who we had seen earlier had fallen on top of me, this one appearing to be a little older than me.

His mouth was moving a mile a minute and I couldn't follow what he was saying because of how fast he was going. I held up my hands to my ears, but the guy had stopped suddenly and was gaping at Harry in surprise.

 _ **What did you say to him?**_ I signed furiously, although I already knew the answer.

Harry looked pained, as if he regretted what he had said.

"I...I said you were deaf," he both spoke and signed.

I turned away from him and grabbed my trunk and threw it into the compartment along with my kitty carrier holding Evalinne.

I felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see the same boy with red hair.

I was able to read his lips this time, as he spoke much slower.

"I'm awfully sorry I fell on you." He said, half-smiling.

Smiling in return, I waved my hand in the air. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"I'm George Weasley." I saw him say, holding his hand out to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, George." I said, shaking his hand once or twice with a smile on my face.

Then I turned to the compartment where Harry was waiting.

George tapped me on the shoulder again and I turned back around. "Wait, I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

_Oh blimey, that's embarrassing._

I blushed beet red, a sheepish grin on my lips. "Sorry. I'm Hollie. Hollie Potter."

George's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but then he just smiled. "That's a nice name, Hollie."

I grinned again. "Well, I'll see you." George waved once more and then I turned and climbed into the compartment, shutting the door behind me.

I sat across from Harry, next to Evalinne's carrier, and glared at him as he tried to avoid my gaze.

 ** _Why? Why did you do that, Harry?_** I signed rapidly as the train started moving in the direction of Hogwarts.

"I-I'm sorry, okay?" Harry said and signed. "I knew he was going way to fast for you to understand. I was just trying to help you."

 _No. That's not right and he knows it._ I shook my head violently. **_You want to help me?_** I signed to him.

Harry nodded slowly, his face unsure.

 ** _Then STOP doing that!_** I signed furiously and emphatically. **_Please_**. I signed not as harshly, my face more relaxed as I moved my hand in a clockwise motion a few times near my left shoulder.

"Okay Hollie. I won't, I promise. I'm really _really_ sorry." Harry replied, obviously relieved that I'd calmed down.

Then he looked to the compartment door on my left. I turned and saw the younger redhead boy standing there, looking nervous as he looked between the two of us.

He said something to Harry who signed to me quickly, ** _Do you mind if he sits here?_**

I shrugged and waved the kid in. He shut the door and sat down next to Harry, watching me warily. He said something really fast and I couldn't understand.

Harry kept his mouth shut, watching me.

"I'm deaf. I can't hear anything that you say." I said, pointing to my ear. "Could you speak a little slower so that I can read your lips easier?"

The kid nodded hurriedly. "Blimey, I didn't know, I'm sorry," he said, more slowly. "I'm Ron by the way. Ron Weasley."

"I'm Hollie. Hollie Potter." I said, smiling.

Ron's jaw dropped. "So- so it's true?"

Harry and I both nodded slowly, confused as to what Ron was getting at.

"I mean do you really have the-the...the scars?" Ron gestured to his forehead as he ended his question in a whisper.

"Oh, yeah." Harry held up his hair to show his scar and I turned my head to the side, lifting my own curly red hair up.

Hagrid had told us that an evil wizard named You-Know-Who, or Lord Voldemort, had come after Harry. He tried to kill me and our mum and dad as well.

Mum and Dad were killed, but when he tried to kill Harry, I was hit by part of the blast, giving me a scar and making me lose all my hearing.

I turned back around just in time to see Ron say, " _Wicked_."

I laughed and Ron grinned in embarrassment.

"Sorry," He muttered, turning red around the ears.

"Is your family all wizards or witches?" Harry signed and spoke.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure." He said absentmindedly, staring at Harry's hands.

"Can...can I ask what you were doing just now?" Ron asked tentatively, looking from me to Harry and back again.

I shrugged and nodded. "He was signing so that it would be easier for me to follow the conversation. It gets hard to read lips after a while."

"So you guys sign to each other all the time?" Ron asked, looking intrigued.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's like our special code when we're at the Dursleys." He caught my eye and I laughed, remembering all the times we'd made jokes about the Dursleys without them knowing at all.

The three of us kept talking and laughing as the train continued on its way, learning more about each other as the minutes passed. I could tell that Ron was going to be a great friend to Harry and I.

A lady came by later with a trolley of food and Harry bought a ton of candy that we stuffed ourselves with.

My favorites were the pumpkin pasties, they were more delicious than anything I'd ever gotten at the Dursleys.

Later on, I was eating another one of them, leaning against the side of the compartment and looking out the window, wondering what Hogwarts would be like. Harry and Ron were talking about some kind of Wizarding sport, and I had stopped listening after a time.

That was when I started falling asleep.


	2. Lines are Drawn

_I saw a small house on a dark night, late in the evening._  

_There were children running around from house to house in different costumes, so it must have been Halloween._  

_Inside the house I was watching I could see a happy family of four- **Wait that's my happy family of 4! **I realized with a jolt._ 

_"Mum? Dad?" I whispered, reaching out to touch the cold window pane, through which I could see a woman with red hair like mine holding a little boy with black hair and a man with black hair like Harry's holding a little girl with red hair._  

_I had almost touched the window, but then the dream changed and I saw green flashes of light, my mum and dad dying, and Harry and I crying in a crib._  

_Tears were springing into my eyes. **No, I didn't want to see this, no please no!**_

_Then something dark was creeping towards the little me and the little Harry._  

_"No,you won't hurt them!" I yelled, jumping in front of the crib-_  

I jolted awake with a gasp, realizing that Harry was shaking me as my heart raced a mile a minute. 

"What was it?" he signed, concerned. He had to have seen the fear and pain in my eyes. I never could hide anything from him. 

"It- it was nothing," I stammered, forcing a smile and sitting up. "Just a dream." 

I saw Ron watching us curiously as Harry signed that we were almost to Hogwarts and that I need to go get dressed. 

"Okay," I signed, standing up and grabbing my robes from the trunk above my head and walking towards the door to the compartment. "I'll be right back." I said, waving to Harry and Ron over my shoulder. 

Still trying to shake the remnants of the nightmare I'd had from my brain, I walked through the crowded hallway of the train, making my way down to the girl's loo. Once there, I locked myself in a stall to change. 

The uniform was a plain black skirt that went down to my knees, with a white oxford button-down shirt with a collar and a grey vest over top of that. And then, in addition to all of that, I pulled on a long black robe that went down to my black shoe-clad feet.

It was a very odd uniform, especially with the robes, but I hoped I would get used to it.

One I was finished changing, I walked out of the stall and was nearly knocked over by a tall girl with black hair and dark African American skin.

It seemed like she had brushed past me on purpose, but why she would do that, I have no idea. 

"Oh, blimey I'm sorry!" I saw her say, her face turned towards me for a second.

But her brown eyes betrayed her; she was looking right through me. She didn't care that she had nearly flattened me. 

Mumbling some acceptance of an apology under my breath and trying not to roll my eyes, I hitched my bag higher up on my shoulder and walked out of the girl's restroom, my shoulders hunched over and my head down. 

And guess how well  _that_  worked for me. Two seconds later  _I_ ran into someone else, making us both stumble towards the side of the hallway. 

"Oh my, I'm so sorry!" I said, looking at the person and feeling a red blush creeping up on my cheeks. 

The person I'd run into was a boy of my age, a little taller than me with short, sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was also grinning at me as he signed, "Hey, Hollie." 

"Jem?" I signed, staring at him disbelievingly. "Jem Spinnet?" 

Still grinning, Jem held out his arms for a hug. I laughed and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

When we broke apart, I signed, "What are you doing here?" 

Jem Spinnet has been my best friend ever since I was old enough to start going to school for the deaf, which Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia sent me to against their will. Jem was deaf, had been since birth, so that was why he was at that school. The only thing that is different between us is that Jem doesn't talk, even though he has the ability to do so. Jem and I became best friends very quickly, and I remember Harry and I spending a lot of time at his parents' house growing up, as much as we could to get away from the Dursleys. 

Now Jem shrugged and signed that he was going be a wizard like his parents had told him when he was a little kid. 

"Wait! You knew about all this? And you didn't tell me?" I signed, my hand gestures getting faster and more harsh. "I thought we were best friends!" 

Jem held up his hands as I began to sign again. "We are." He signed urgently. "I wanted to tell you, I swear. But Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let me or my family tell you guys who you were. He was glad that we were friends, so my parents could always keep an eye on you, but he still made us swear not to tell you guys." He stopped and looked me in the eye. "I would have told you if I could have, Hollie, you know that." 

I bit my lip. In all the years that we have been friends, I can't remember Jem having ever lied to me. But apparently now he had been the entire time. 

Seeing my indecision, Jem signed, "I'm _really_ sorry, Hollie. Forgive me?" 

_He's still your best friend, Hollie. And now he's **here**!_

With that thought, I grinned and waved a hand in the air. "There's nothing to forgive," I signed. "Wanna go see Harry?" 

Jem shrugged and nodded. Grinning, I grabbed his hand and led him back up the crowded train towards our compartment. 

When we reached it, there was a girl in there with long brown hair talking to Harry and Ron and looking very impressed. 

Jem and I stepped into the compartment and Harry saw us with a look of relief on his face.

"Jem!" I saw him say, looking surprised as well. "Are you a wizard, too?" He signed, looking between Jem and I. 

Jem nodded and signed something quickly. I laughed, but even Harry didn't get everything because Jem had signed so fast, so my twin looked at me questioningly. 

"He said that this morning his mom was all fussy and was crying about how her little baby was going off to Hogwarts." I said and signed, still laughing. 

_Mrs. Spinnet would say that, that's really funny!_  

Ron and the brown-haired girl were staring at us blankly and I turned to them, feeling rude that I wasn't including them. 

"Hi, I'm Hollie." I said, waving to the girl, who had been watching me using my hands to sign to Jem with unabashed curiosity. 

Harry was signing for Jem behind me. 

"And this is Jem." I said, pointing to him while still looking at Ron and the girl. 

"Guys, this is Hermione Granger." Harry said and signed, spelling out her name for us in sign language. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hollie, Jem." Hermione said clearly, her lips turned up in a small smile. "Oh, and the driver says that we'll be there any-" 

Hermione was cut off by the train screeching to a halt, making all of us sway where we stood. 

"We're here!" I chirped, jumping up and down and grinning at Jem in excitement. 

"Nervous?" He signed, shaking his hands to the side with a grin on his face. 

I rolled my eyes at him. "Me? Nervous? Please, give me a break." I signed, grinning. 

I made sure that my trunk was shut, as well as my carrier case for Evalinne, so that they would make it to wherever I would be staying in in one piece. 

Then Jem and I followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione off of the train and into the enormous waves of students. 

I stood on tiptoe to look above the other students' heads, seeing Hagrid standing farther back in the station, waving at us. 

When he saw me looking, he signed, "Hello, Hollie!", using the sign for my name that Jem had given me (it's the sign for crazy but with the sign for the letter h). 

_He remembered how to say it!_  

I grinned and waved back, elated. "Hi, Hagrid!" I managed to yell as the swell of students pushed me along. 

He was shouting something, but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying, as I was almost past him at that point. 

Then Harry grabbed mine and Jem's arms. 

"He said that first years are supposed to go with him." He signed, motioning for us to get to Hagrid. 

When we reached him, Hagrid smiled at us and then started walking towards a huge lake. He held up four fingers and then pointed at a boat, talking really fast. 

_Well, he didn't seem to remember **that** part of it._  I thought with a rueful smile.

"What is he saying?" I asked Harry, Jem watching so that he could understand as well. 

"He said that we can only have four people to a boat." Harry signed. 

I nodded in assent and motioned to an empty boat. Harry, Ron, and Jem and I all climbed into it. 

Once all the first years were seated, the boats started moving across the water.

_It's like magic!_ I thought excitedly.

Then the boats rounded a bend in the lake and I got my first look at Hogwarts. 

My jaw actually dropped and my eyes bulged as wide as saucers.

The building was enormous, a huge castle, the biggest building I had ever seen. There were hundreds of windows in the front of it, and they were all glowing with some kind of light from the inside. It was magnificent.

I began tapping Harry on the arm excitedly, pointing at the school insistently. 

"Oh my gosh, look at how big it is!" I signed, turning so Jem could see what I was saying with my hands. 

"It's huge!" Jem signed back, grinning as he gazed up at in awe. 

Ron and Harry were similarly mesmerized, staring up at the dark castle with all of its towers, nearly covered in the windows filled with light, which bathed all of the first years in the boats in a pale yellow light. 

When we reached the other side of the lake and got out of the boats, all of the first years were led into the castle by a tall woman whose name Harry said was Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts as well as the head of Gryffindor house. 

She showed us into an enormous entry hallway, turned around to face us, and held up her hands in a gesture that I knew meant, "wait here" before disappearing through two huge double doors in front of us.

All the students seemed nervous, and I was grateful I wasn't the only one. I was terrified, but I was trying my best to keep it controlled. 

I looked around just in time to see a boy with slicked-back white-blond hair and cold grey eyes say, "So it's true then?" 

The boy was right in front of me, talking to me like I could hear him. "What they're saying on the train. The Potter twins have come to Hogwarts."

I didn't have to be able to hear to know that all of the first year students were whispering around me. I could practically _see_ the ripple that went through the crowd of black robe-clad students.

"This is Crabbe. And Goyle." The boy motioned to the two hulking boys that stood on either side of him. And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You're Hollie, then?" 

I raised my eyebrows at the boy's forwardness, and his name. I had just crossed my arms over my chest as I saw Harry, Ron and Jem begin to laugh, whether it was at his name or the fact that he thought I could hear him, I wasn't sure. 

"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Hollie. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." Malfoy held out a hand to shake, glaring at Jem and Ron in particular. "I can help you there." 

_Who does this boy think he is? And why's he being so rude to Jem and Ron?_  

I rolled my eyes. "I'm so glad that I couldn't hear that." I said and signed, shaking my head in disgust. 

"Excuse me?" Malfoy said, looking both offended and confused. 

I saw Jem, Harry, and Ron laugh even harder. Even Hermione was hiding a grin behind her hand. 

"I'm _deaf_ , Malfoy." I said and signed, raising my eyebrows at him. "I can't hear a single word you're saying right now. I can read your lips, so I understand you, but it most certainly does  _not_  mean that I agree with you. And I think my brother and I can tell who the wrong sort are for ourselves, thanks. We certainly don't need _your_ help." 

Malfoy sneered and opened his mouth to say something, but then I saw Professor McGonagall step up behind him.

She gave the two of us a long, measured look, and then I saw her say, "Follow me." 

I tried to forget about the confrontation with Malfoy as my excitement came back, although I had a feeling I had just made the opposite of a friend, an enemy.

But I didn't really care, because from what I could tell Malfoy was rude and stuck-up. And now it was time to figure out what house I would be in! 

Both of us grinning in excitement, Jem grabbed my hand and we followed the professor and the other students into the Great Hall with Harry, Ron, and Hermione behind us.


	3. No Really, What House am I In?

We followed Professor McGonagall into an enormous hall that had a ceiling that was made to look like it was nighttime. I couldn't help but wonder if it was the real sky. 

The hall was full of students, all sitting at four tables parallel to each other. Ghosts were mixed in and among them, sticking out like sore thumbs in their pearly whiteness. 

There was also another table perpendicular to the other four at the front that was full of adults, who I assumed were the teachers. 

Most of the students were turning to get a look at all of us as we passed them, as if we were really interesting to look at, instead a bunch of nervous eleven-year-old's.

I kept a nervous smile on my face, and as I walked beside Jem, I reached out and took his hand in mine. Jem gave my hand a gentle squeeze, meaning that he was nervous too. 

Professor McGonagall led us in front of the teacher's table where there was a small stool standing by itself. On top of that stool was a pointed wizard's hat like the ones that most of the students and staff were wearing. But this hat was patched and frayed and very dirty. 

 _What do we have to do?_  I wondered as we crowded around the hat.  _We don't have to pull anything **out** of the hat, do we?_  

Then the brim of the hat opened up and looked like it was moving. Harry immediately started signing for Jem and I, so that we could understand what was going on. 

Basically, the hat told us about the four houses and how he'll see everything in our heads when we wear him, and how we shouldn't be afraid "because he's a thinking cap". 

When it was done, the hat returned to its still position and Professor McGonagall picked up a long-looking scroll. "When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and place the hat on your head." 

A few students nodded nervously and then Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. 

"Abbot, Hannah!" 

A girl with blonde pigtails and trembling hands walked up to the stool, sat down, and put the hat on her head. There was a pause, and the hat spoke again. 

Harry told Jem and I that it had sorted Hannah into Hufflepuff. I watched her as she went and sat at a table that was cheering and clapping. 

After that, it was just as if the sorting went on and on. We saw Hermione get sorted into Gryffindor, Malfoy got sorted into Slytherin, and some girl with the last name of McKinnon also get sorted into Gryffindor. 

Then I saw Professor McGonagall say, "Potter, Harry!" 

I turned and saw the whole hall had burst into speech, talking amongst themselves excitedly. 

Turning back around, I watched as Harry sat down on the stool and the professor put the hat on his head. For some reason, it seemed to take his longer than the others, but then the hat yelled out a name- by this time I could tell what the hat said- Gryffindor! 

 _Yay!_  

I saw Harry grin and go sit at a table that was cheering uproariously, taking a seat among a group of redheads. 

"Potter, Hollie!" I saw Professor McGonagall call out. Jem squeezed my hand once more before letting me go so that I could walk up to the stool. 

My heart beating madly in my chest, I sat down on the stool, the hat falling onto my head and falling a little bit past my eyes.

_It's finally going to happen...I'm going to be sorted._

I waited.

And waited.

I waited and waited, but nothing happened. I waited some more, just staring at the inside of the dark hat, not entirely sure of what to do. 

Then the hat was whipped off my head and Professor McGonogall was motioning for me to get down. 

"E-excuse me? What house am I in?" I asked timidly, standing up and looking directly at Professor McGonagall, not wanting to see anyone making fun of me. 

 _Talk about embarrassing..._  

The professor smiled at me kindly and pointed in the direction of the Gryffindor table, where Harry had gone. 

I nodded in thanks and walked down the steps while everyone in the Great Hall stared at me, nobody applauding except for Harry, Jem, Ron, and a few of his brothers. 

I sat down in between Harry and one of Ron's twin brothers. The other twin was across from me, next to Hermione (Ron had told us that they were twins).

Trying not to notice the looks I was getting from all over the Hall, I watched the other students get sorted, up until Professor McGonogall called, "Spinnet, James!" 

I crossed my fingers under the table as Jem stepped up to the stool confidently and jammed the hat over his head. 

 _Come on, come on, come on...._  

After a minute, I saw the hat yell, "Gryffindor!" 

 _YES!_  I thought excitedly.  _We're in the same house!_  

I clapped my hands and waved Jem over as soon he took the hat off, so that he wouldn't have to go through the same thing I had to and ask what house he was in.

He grinned and came to our table, sitting down in between Hermione and Ron's brother. 

Then we watched as Ron was sorted into Gryffindor also. A man named Albus Dumbledore (of whom Hagrid had spoken most highly) said some strange words and then food appeared in front of us magically. 

 _How did that happen?_   I thought, my jaw hanging open for half a tick.

Meeting each other's eyes, Jem and I grinned at each other across the table and we all piled food onto our plates. 

After a few minutes of eating the delicious food, I turned to the twin next to me. "You're George, right? The one who flattened me?" 

He groaned, but ended up smiling. "I did apologize, come on, Hollie." 

"And you're Fred?" I asked the boy sitting next to Jem, grinning at George's response. 

"How can you tell us apart?" Fred asked, grinning crookedly before taking a drink of pumpkin juice. 

I shrugged with a sly grin. "When you're deaf," I said and signed, "you tend to become really good at looking at things and noticing differences." 

Jem signed something too quickly for even Harry to follow and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at what he had said. 

"What did he say?" Hermione asked curiously after taking a bite of food. 

I tried to stop laughing. "He-he said that our eyesight is so good that we can spot shoes on sale from a mile away." 

I shook my head, grinning, and kicked Jem under the table as he laughed at his own joke. 

 _Of course, we're the only ones laughing, but whatever._  

After I finally calmed down, Harry tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a boy with spiky brown hair on the other side of Fred. 

"Seamus, right?" I asked, smiling at him. 

He nodded. "Aye. So I take it you couldn't hear what the hat was saying, then?" 

I shook my head regretfully. "I can't hear people talk let alone an old hat." I said and signed so that Jem could understand what we were saying. 

Jem nodded and pointed at himself, showing that he couldn't hear the hat either. 

"So how are you two going to be able to follow along in classes?" Hermione asked me, raising an eyebrow at Jem and I skeptically. 

I signed what she said to Jem, then both said and signed, "We can read lips, so that should work for now." I shrugged. "We can't have interpreters follow us everywhere. It's a real pain." 

Jem nodded in agreement and then I saw Harry and everyone but Jem and I stiffen suddenly. 

"What's wrong?" I asked them, frowning slightly and looking from one face to the next. 

Then I felt something hit the back of my head and turned around to see that Malfoy and his gang were laughing and making faces at me, yelling. They were too far away for me to understand what they were saying, but I got the gist. 

I rolled my eyes and turned back around as my fellow housemates stared at me. 

Harry tapped me on the shoulder. "You okay?" He said and signed quickly. 

"Seriously? You think I'm gonna let a prick like him get to me?" I signed back, not feeling like speaking. "Please, give me some credit." 

Harry didn't seem fully convinced, but he let it rest and turned to talk to Ron. I looked down at my plate and found I wasn't very hungry anymore. 

 _Come on, Hollie. You knew that something like this might happen._  

 _Yes, but not this soon._  

Jem knew what was going on and wasn't eating much anymore either. Hermione had started talking to Ron's oldest brother at Hogwarts, Percy Weasley, and Harry was still talking to Ron, who knows what. 

Then George tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to face him. "Hey Hollie, what is the sign for friend?" 

I held up my hands and wrapped my index fingers around each other in a kind of knot. "This is how you say friends," I explained as Fred, Seamus, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas watched. 

In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm  _really_  good with names. 

"Do you want to be-" George then made the sign for friends "-friends?" 

I grinned at the sentiment and the effort George had made into asking me that. It made me feel special. "That would be great, George, thanks." 

George grinned back then, as if he was pleased with himself. "Do you like Quidditch?" 

 _Well, I don't know what it is, but it sounds interesting._  

I shrugged. "Never seen it before. I don't even know what it is." 

George put a hand to his heart. "Hollie, you're killing me." 

I couldn't keep down a little bubble of laughter. "So before you die can you tell me what it is?"   
  
George had just started explaining the rules to me when everyone turned to the front of the hall.   
  
I looked over, a little confused, but then I saw that Dumbledore was standing up and I knew that he was making a speech. I saw him say that the forest is forbidden to all students. He also said that the third-floor corridor on the right was off limits unless you wanted to die a painful death or something like that.   
  
I saw Harry laugh, but I watched George and Fred, who looked surprised.   
  
"Is he serious?" I know Fred said something, but I couldn't read his lips because he was turned away, craning his neck to get a better look at Dumbledore.   
  
"What did you say?" I whispered across the table, but then Hermione had shushed me so as to hear whatever it was Dumbledore was saying.   
  
Rolling my eyes, I put my head in my hands and stayed that way until Harry tapped me on the shoulder.   
  
"We're singing now," he signed, smiling broadly.   
  
I shook my head and put my head back in my hands.  _First of all, I don't sing. Harry knows that. And even if I did, I don't feel like it right now._    
  
After a minute, I felt a light kick under the table and looked up at Jem.   
  
"You okay?" he signed quickly.   
  
I shrugged and paused for a second, trying to put my thoughts into words. "Just...just realizing how hard this is going to be. It's not like our school at all."   
  
Jem nodded in agreement in understanding and didn't say anything else.   
  
Not there really was anything else left to say.   
  
After Fred and George stopped singing (apparently they were singing  _really_  slowly), everyone started getting up to leave the Great Hall.   
  
Percy started calling all of the Gryffindor first years to him, and I waved to George and Fred once before running to catch up with Hermione and Jem.   
  
We walked through several different corridors, past certain paintings that I tried to make note of, and up moving staircases until we reached a large painting of a rather fat lady. She sat by a tree with a white dress on and flowers in her hair.   
  
I saw Percy say something to the Fat Lady and then her portrait swung forward, leaving a doorway through which Percy started leading us. Harry tapped Jem and I on the shoulders and spelled this out in sign language for us: "The password is Caput Draconis."   
  
Jem and I nodded in affirmative and then we followed Harry and Ron through the portrait hole, revealing a large room with a warm-looking fireplace, a few tables for work I would assume, and some comfy chairs and couches.   
  
 _This place is great! Beats the Dursleys any day!_    
  
Percy turned around to look at all of the first years once we'd gathered in the common room and I saw him say, "Girls dormitories are on the left, boys on the right. You all are at the very top. Now I suggest you get to bed. You've got a big day tomorrow."   
  
I rolled my eyes. I had a feeling that Percy would be like this all of the time.   
  
Jem just grinned and gave me a hug before going to the boys' staircase, waving good-night over his shoulder.   
  
Harry hugged me also, signing, "I love you" before heading upstairs with Ron, Seamus, and Dean.  
  
Smothering a yawn beneath my hand, I walked up the girls' staircase until I reached the very top, following Hermione and a few other girls from my year.   
  
Once inside the very top room, I saw that there were five four-poster beds with drapes, each with a chest of drawers and a mirror.   
  
Not thinking at all, which I sometimes do, I went and sat on a random bed.   
  
 _Blimey, I'm tired._  I yawned again and was about to just lay down and crash right then and there when someone touched my back.   
  
After jumping nearly a foot in the air in surprise, I leaped to my feet and whirled around to see a girl with wavy brown hair and warm brown eyes.   
  
"Lavender...right?" I asked shakily, rubbing my arm self-consciously.   
  
The girl nodded shyly, biting her lip and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, and, um...you're on my bed."   
  
 _What is she talking about? Did she already pick a bed? I mean seriously-_    
  
I looked down and saw that there was a trunk that wasn't mine sitting on the edge of the bed. I clapped a hand to my mouth and gasped.   
  
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't think! God, I'm so stupid."   
  
Lavender held up her hands. "No, no, you're fine. I was telling you, but I don't know if you heard me-"   
  
I winced.  _Well, I didn't._    
  
I walked over to the bed with my trunk on it, scratching the back of my head and saying, "I can't hear you. I'm deaf."   
  
Turning to see her response, I saw Lavender's eyes widen with shock. "Goodness, I'm so sorry!"   
  
I shrugged, forcing a smile. "It's fine. You didn't know."   
  
Lavender nodded uncertainly once more and then we both got ready for bed as Hermione, Parvati Patil, and Courtney McKinnon also got ready.   
  
Usually I would try to make conversation, especially since I'd be sharing a room with these girls for a year, but frankly I was just too tired to even think about trying.   
  
I climbed under my warm covers quickly and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.


End file.
